Attract And Retain Millennials By Making This Commitment

Your employees' future commitment to you may depend on your commitment to the future.

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How do you hire and retain top millennial talent? The more competitive today’s leadership hiring market becomes, the more companies need to position themselves as places that top tier employees want to work. That goes beyond salary, because millennials would rather take a pay cut to find a job with better quality of work life.

One of the most important issues millennials care about is sustainability, so companies who provide ways to help the environment have an advantage over those who lack those programs. Simply trying an initiative is not enough to attract a group that prioritizes corporate social responsibility. Now the question becomes: how can companies make a significant and lasting commitment to sustainability so they can attract the most innovative leaders?

Saving birds and bees

If you have a large company, you can donate resources to help support several aspects of environmental stewardship. “Employees can use our 40 electric vehicle charging stations,” said Jerry Williams, Program Manager - Environmental Sustainability at SAS. “They can also elect to use Green2Go food containers which is a reusable alternative to food-to-go plastic containers. More than 500 participating employees have eliminated thousands of plastic clamshells from landfill disposal.” More adventurous employees can also “wear official beekeeper suits and tour the SAS apiary where they learn about the inner workings of bee hives and how vital bees are to our local and global ecosystem.”

SAS also has an official employee environmental volunteer group which has “collected data from our office buildings to contribute toward a global initiative to reduce bird collisions with buildings.” To make it easier for employees to participate in their area of interest, SAS aggregates information about these initiatives in an internal website.

Remote work significantly impacts carbon footprint

Companies of any size can commit to sustainable working conditions that improve quality of work life and reduce environmental impact of day to day operations.

"As a 100% virtual-by-design company, we've found that being environmentally friendly is a huge side perk in addition to reducing attrition, increasing productivity, and expanding our talent pool,” said Jennifer Adeli, CEO and founder of WinBiz Proposals. “By our estimate, if we were not virtual, each person on our team would emit 2,000 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere and spend $1,200 per year in commuting costs. Even small businesses can make a significant impact. We avoid over 18 tons of CO2 emissions per year and save team members thousands of dollars. We have a happier, more engaged, more empowered, and more sustainable workforce. It’s a win-win."

David Lortscher, MD, Board-certified dermatologist and founder of Curology, agrees. “We aim to limit waste and encourage environmental responsibility through our streamlined production process and employee perks. Telecommuting is an employee favorite! We have a generous work-from-home policy and encourage employees to avoid commuting during rush hour, minimizing our carbon footprint.”

From local to global

Companies with a global presence can accomplish a much larger vision by supporting efforts beyond their own headquarters.

“EY has a number of initiatives in place that are designed to help our people give back to local communities and the environment, as well as strengthen their team and leadership skills,” said Deborah K. Holmes, EY Americas Director of Corporate Responsibility.

One of these programs is the EY-Earthwatch Ambassadors Program, “a collaboration between the EY organization and the Earthwatch Institute, a nonprofit organization that engages people worldwide in scientific field research and education in sustainable environments. Through the week-long program, EY people travel to Latin America to leverage their business and consulting skills to assist local entrepreneurs with improving business practices, as well as to conduct field research that promotes education in sustainable development. Now in its ninth year, the program has had more than 245 EY professionals participate, donating nearly 20,000 hours since its inception.”

Participation counts

Whether your company is large or small, employees can feel more connected to internal programs, and the company’s philosophy behind them, if participation is high.

“Each year as part of our volunteer program we host a series of 3-4 environmental events for our employees,” said Amy Olive, Consumer Marketing Manager, Superfeet Worldwide. “These events range from local garbage collection to invasive species removal and have become employee favorites with 50-100% of our employees volunteering to help.”

Connect initiatives to business model

Some companies’ products and services naturally complement sustainability. Implementing something small, that is easy for employees to participate in, can greatly increase the chance that people will embrace the initiative and commit to it.

“We installed a five gallon mini garbage can into our break room with a sign posted on the lid for everyone to throw their compostable garbage into,” said Anthony Smith, President, Nursery Enterprises. “Coffee grinds, unwanted or old food, tea bags, and food waste such as banana peels mostly avoid the regular garbage and end up in the can. When either pre-composted or buried or spread-out in a garden, this kitchen waste tremendously benefits the vegetable garden's soil. It's all free, it decreases our garbage to the landfill, and it brings a little more awareness of the possibilities to the employees.”

Whether your company is large or small, you can commit to taking at least one action that aligns with your personal values and ask coworkers to get involved. Whether you plant an employee garden, switch to exclusively solar power or incentivize carpooling and recycling, employees can feel empowered by helping during their work day. The question should not just revolve around how to attract talent. Rather, what project, modest or visionary, can you start in your company to build a better environment for your team and beyond?